A tray may be attached to the arms of a chair to provide a convenient surface for holding food or other items within easy reach of a seated person. Some trays span the gap between the armrests on the left and right sides of the chair, attaching to both armrests by straps, spring clips, or clamps. Other trays are rotatably joined to the armrests or sides of a chair by a hinge at either side, enabling the tray to be stowed behind the chair or rotated in front of a seated person. Yet other trays have posts sized for sliding engagement with apertures in the armrests or armrest supports. Airline travelers may be familiar with trays that are joined to a chair by an extendable linkage that permits the tray to be rotated out of the way and stowed in a side of the chair.
Any of these trays have one or more problems which may interfere with a person using the tray. Some trays require a modification of a chair to support the tray and may not attach to unmodified chairs. Other trays are difficult to detach from one chair and attach to a different chair. Some trays are detachable from a chair, but detaching and re-attaching the tray, for example by undoing and redoing straps or clamps, may be too complicated or time-consuming to do each time a person wants to move the tray out of the way, for example to stand up or cross one's legs. Some trays exceed the maximum size of an object permitted to be carried into a public venue such as a sports stadium. Other trays are not suitable for rough handling or exposure to inclement weather. Some trays are not strongly supported enough by a chair to carry a heavy load such as several full beverage cups. Some trays are too large or too heavy for convenient portability, for example by fitting the tray into a tote bag. Some clamping mechanisms used for attaching a tray to a chair may scratch, bend, crush, or cause other damage to part of the chair.